(a)
The city owns, operates and manages the public water supply system.
The city council approves all operating expenditures and improvements
annually. Operations personnel take care of the day-to-day management
and operational requirements.
(b)
The city waterworks system serves approximately 5,150 connections.
The majority of these connections are within the city limits. However,
a few of the customers live outside the corporate limits of the city.
The waterworks system covers approximately 4.426 square miles.
(c)
Over the past several years the city has experienced very moderate
growth. However, the city’s water works system has not been
exceeded in its available capacity to supply the customers’
demand. Purchased supply through the Canadian River Municipal Water
Authority, along with groundwater capacity has served the city and
its citizens quite well.
(d)
Wastewater is currently treated to primary standards and applied
to agricultural land as irrigation water.
(e)
In the South Plains of Texas, wastewater is often disposed on land
as irrigation water to conserve the groundwater sources in the area.
The area, being heavily agricultural, relies on irrigation water to
provide crop production. The South Plains underground water district
has provided research and assistance to the farmers in the district
to show them efficient water use techniques to conserve the underground
water resources. Both supply, pumping and application techniques have
been instituted and the Ogallala aquifer has seen saturated thicknesses
increase over recent years due to the improved conservation techniques.
(f)
The city is aware of the need to conserve water and has been instrumental
in providing water use reduction methods within the city. The city,
in implementing this plan, will, in effect, increase the life of their
existing groundwater supply and increase the treatment capacity of
their wastewater treatment facility.
(g)
The city has set a goal of per capita water use reduction of 5%.
This shall be an annual goal for the city. The peak water use occurs
in the summer when people are irrigating crops and watering yards
and gardens. An educational program shall be initiated to show how
to achieve the results of irrigation without wasting the water being
applied.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
The city holds regular council meetings on the third Tuesday
of every month at 5:30 p.m. These meetings are open to the public
and the public is encouraged to attend and participate in the city’s
government process. Persons are encouraged to present concerns and
comments to the council at these meetings, to help the councilmembers
in their decision making process. In addition, the city is a member
of the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority which holds regular
board meetings.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
The water conservation plan outlined has the overall objective
of reducing water consumption in the city service area. It has the
added advantage of reducing the amount of wastewater needing treatment
and disposal. Although regional planning for the water supply is an
important aspect of water conservation planning, it also focuses on
measures that specifically reduce the amount of water used and, ultimately,
on the amount of wastewater produced. Such measures will have the
effect of extending the time until additional water and wastewater
treatment capacity must be provided. The city has set a goal of per
capita water usage reduction of 5% as an annual goal.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
(a)
Education and information.
The city shall adopt a two-phase
education and information program. The program will be a two-year
design that will emphasize the educational and informational aspects
within the first year. During the second year, annual reminders will
be given to the public, school children and civic groups. The city
will provide water conservation materials to inform the system users
of the ways to conserve water. The following are methods for informing
the system users:
(1)
First year program.
(A)
Educational materials will be provided to all users of the system
at city hall when their monthly water bill is paid. In addition, the
city will have one (1) mail out of material during the first-year
program. The mail out will be a fact sheet about the adoption of the
water conservation plan.
(B)
Newspaper releases shall be published in the local newspaper of general
circulation in the city as part of the first-year plan. Two (2) news
releases each year shall be published to inform the public of the
water conservation plan in the city. If emergency conditions occur
and/or supply problems are encountered, these news releases shall
be published immediately and the public will be informed of the situation.
(C)
Other water conservation activities such as water education programs
in the school will be promoted by the city. In addition, the city
will provide speakers, information, handouts and other materials as
needed to promote the water conservation within the city and surrounding
area. Tips for water conservation shall be printed on the monthly
water bills at least two (2) times per year.
(D)
All new connections shall be provided with information on water conservation
methods and water saving devices for the home.
(E)
Contracts with other political subdivisions:
(i)
Should the opportunity ever present itself for the city to provide
water under contractual agreement to another political subdivision,
the accepting subdivision shall adopt this water conservation plan
prior to receiving any water. Otherwise, the accepting political subdivision
shall already have in effect a plan of their own that has been approved
by the state water development board.
(ii)
The city shall include similar provisions for any existing contracts
in effect at the time of the writing and for acceptance of this plan.
Currently, the city has no contracts with other political subdivisions.
(F)
Water conservation literature: Information concerning water conservation
literature is available from the state water development board. Included
in the literature are subject areas of agricultural and municipal
conservation as well as state water resources and planning literature
and audio-visual materials. This preprinted information will be the
basis for public education and is available from the following agency:
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Texas Water Development Board
|
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P.O. Box 13231, Capitol Station
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Austin, Texas 78711-3231
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(2)
Second and subsequent years activities; long-term public information.
(A)
During the second and subsequent years, the city shall include information
on the customer’s utility bill reminding the users of the need
for conserving water at least three (3) times per year. During the
year, the city shall have available to all metered customers information
informing them of the status of the water conservation activities
and the current status of the efforts exhibited by the users for the
most previous past six (6) months.
(B)
Water conservation material shall be made available to schools, secondary
and elementary, for the children to take home. Public speakers shall
be made available to various organizations to promote water conservation.
(C)
As previously stated, newspaper articles shall appear at least twice
per year informing the public of the water conservation plan in the
city.
(b)
Plumbing codes.
The city has adopted a plumbing code
which has several provisions pertaining to water conservation. This
code is strictly enforced by the inspection and water department.
(c)
Retrofit program.
Customers in existing buildings, which
do not have water saving devices, should be encouraged to replace
their old plumbing fixtures. The informational material provided to
them will help acquaint them with the types of devices and the advantages
of installing them in their buildings. The city will encourage local
plumbing suppliers to stock water saving devices for new and retrofit
installations.
(d)
Water rate structures.
The city is exploring a water
rate schedule that encourages water conservation practices. Currently
the rate structure has a base rate for 1st 1,000 gallons used and
a step rate per thousand gallons charge for all water used over the
2nd 1,000 gallons. A 3rd step rate charge per thousand gallons is
calculated for all water used after 3,000 gallons. The rate structure
shall be adjusted as the requirements for operating the system and
capital improvement costs increase. Monthly bills are prepared from
meter readings in the system and the excess rate is calculated based
on the amount of water metered.
(e)
Meters.
The current water system meters approximately
100% of the water used. Operations personnel are equipped to test
all meters that appear to be excessively high or low based on the
previous months’ readings. Incorporated into the water conservation
plan, is a case-by-case meter testing system. The city recently completed
an AMR meter change out program of all city accounts, with options
to convert to a fixed based system. All productions meters are tested
and calibrated annually.
(f)
Water conservation landscaping.
In order to reduce the
demands placed on the water system by landscape and garden watering,
the city, through its information and education program, will encourage
customers and local landscaping companies to utilize water saving
practices during installation of landscaping and gardens for residential
and commercial institutions.
(g)
Leak detection and repair.
The current system has a
leak detection program which will be maintained. The program includes
the following:
(1)
Monthly water use is recorded and previous months are compared to
the existing readings to confirm excessively high increases or decreases
from the previous month. Monitoring of elevated tanks and ground storage
tanks which would indicate a major break in the distribution system.
(2)
Visual inspection of wells, ground storage tanks, and water meters
by operations personnel, to watch for situations that would indicate
leaks in the system.
(3)
An adequate maintenance staff available for repair of leaks.
(h)
Recycling and reuse.
The city currently reuses their
wastewater as irrigation water on agricultural land adjacent to the
wastewater treatment plant. With the construction of our new activated
sludge treatment plant, the city has the option of irrigating public
parks and golf courses with the treated effluent, as well as stream
discharge.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
The water conservation plan will be enforced by the following
methods:
(1)
Service taps will not be allowed for customers who do not meet the
requirements of the water conservation plumbing fixtures. An inspector
for the city will be responsible for verifying that the new customer
complies with the plumbing ordinance.
(2)
The informational material provided to customers will show the cost
saving advantages to those who retrofit their buildings with water
saving fixture.
(3)
The city inspector will not approve new construction unless it has
met the proposed plumbing code.
(4)
The water and wastewater superintendent shall assume the role of
inspector and the city inspector shall be in charge of enforcement
of the plan.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
Consumption data and status of water conservation will be reviewed
annually.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
Suggestion on ways to save water which may be included in public
information are listed below:
(1)
Bathroom.
(A)
Take a shower instead of filling the tub and taking a bath. Showers
usually use less water than tub baths.
(B)
Install a low-flow showerhead which restricts the quantity of flow
at 60 psi to no more than 3.0 gallons per minute.
(C)
Do not use hot water when cold will do. Water and energy can be saved
by washing hands with soap and cold water; hot water should only be
added when hands are especially dirty.
(D)
Reduce the level of the water being used in a bathtub by one or two
inches if a shower is not available.
(E)
Turn water off when brushing teeth until it is time to rinse.
(F)
Do not let the water run when washing hands. Instead, scrub and then
turn back on again to rinse. A cut-off valve may also be installed
on the faucet.
(G)
Shampoo hair in the shower. Shampooing in the shower takes only a
little more water than is used to shampoo hair during a bath and much
less than shampooing and bathing separately.
(H)
Hold hot water in the basin when shaving instead of letting the faucet
continue to run.
(I)
Test toilets for leaks. To test for a leak, a few drops of food coloring
can be added to the water in the tank. The toilet should not be flushed.
The customer can then watch to see if the coloring appears in the
bowl within a few minutes. If it does, the fixture needs adjustment
or repair.
(J)
Use a toilet tank displacement device. A one-gallon plastic milk
bottle can be filled with stones or with water, recapped, and placed
in the toilet tank. This will reduce the amount of water in the tank
but still provides enough for flushing. (Bricks which some people
use for this purpose are not recommended since they crumble eventually
and could damage the working mechanism, necessitating a call to the
plumber). Displacement devices should never be used with new low-volume
flush toilets. Install a new low-volume flush toilet that uses 3.5
gallons or less per flush when building a new home or remodeling a
bathroom.
(K)
Install faucet aerators to reduce water consumption.
(L)
Never use the toilet to dispose of cleansing tissues, cigarette butts,
or other trash. This can waste a great deal of water and also places
an unnecessary load on sewage treatment plant or septic tank.
(2)
Kitchen.
(A)
Use a pan of water (or place a stopper in the sink) for rinsing pots
and pans and cooking implements when cooking rather than turning on
the water faucet each time a rinse is needed.
(B)
Never run the dishwasher without a full load. In addition to saving
water, expensive detergent will last longer and a significant energy
saving will appear on the utility bill.
(C)
Use the sink disposal sparingly, and never use it for just a few
scraps.
(D)
Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running water
from the tap until it is cool is wasteful. Better still, both water
and energy can be saved by keeping cold water in a picnic jug on a
kitchen counter to avoid opening the refrigerator door frequently.
(E)
Use a small pan of cold water when cleaning vegetables rather than
letting the faucet run.
(F)
Use only a little water in the pot and put a lid on it for cooking
most food. Not only does this method save water, but food is more
nutritious since vitamins and minerals are not poured down the drain
with the extra cooking water.
(G)
Use a pan of water for rinsing when handwashing dishes rather than
running a faucet.
(H)
Always keep water conservation in mind, and think of other ways to
save in the kitchen. Small kitchen savings from not making too much
coffee or letting ice cubes melt in a sink can add up in a year’s
time.
(3)
Laundry.
(A)
Wash only a full load when using an automatic washing machine (32
to 59 gallons are required per load).
(B)
Use the lowest water level setting on the washing machine for light
loads whenever possible.
(C)
Use cold water as often as possible to save energy and to conserve
the hot water for uses which cold water cannot serve. (This is also
better for clothing made of today’s synthetic fabrics).
(4)
For appliances and plumbing.
(A)
Check water requirements of various models and brands when considering
purchasing any new appliance that uses water. Some use less water
than others.
(B)
Check all water line connections and faucets for leaks. If the cost
of water is $1.00 per 1,000 gallons, one could be paying a large bill
for water that simply goes down the drain because of leakage. A slow
drip can waste as much as 170 gallons of water each day, or 5,000
gallons per month, and can add as much as $15.00 per month to the
water bill.
(C)
Learn to replace faucet washers so that drips can be corrected promptly.
It is easy to do, costs very little, and can represent a substantial
amount saved in plumbing and water bills.
(D)
Check for water leakage that the customer may be entirely unaware
of, such as a leak between the water meter and the house. To check,
all indoor and outdoor faucets should be turned off, and the water
meter should be checked. If it continues to run or turn, a leak probably
exists and needs to be located.
(E)
Insulate all hot water pipes to avoid the delays (and wasted water)
experienced while waiting for the water to “run hot.”
(F)
Be sure the hot water heater thermostat is not set too high. Extremely
hot settings waste water and energy because the water often has to
be cooled with cold water before it can be used.
(G)
Use a moisture meter to determine when house plants need water. More
plants die from over-watering than from being on the dry side.
(5)
Out-of-door use.
(A)
Water lawns early in the morning during the hotter summer months.
Much of the water used on the lawn can simply evaporate between the
sprinkler and the grass.
(B)
Use a sprinkler that produces large drops of water, rather than a
fine mist, to avoid evaporation.
(C)
Turn soaker hoses so the holes are on the bottom to avoid evaporation.
(D)
Water slowly for better absorption, and never water in high winds.
(E)
Forget about watering the streets or walks or driveways. They will
never grow a thing.
(F)
Condition the soil with compost before planting grass or flower beds
so that water will soak in rather than run off.
(G)
Fertilize lawns at least twice a year for root stimulation. Grass
with a good root system makes better use of less water.
(H)
Learn to know when grass needs watering. If it has turned a dull
gray-green or if footprints remain visible, it is time to water.
(I)
Do not water too frequently. Too much water can overload the soil
so that air cannot get to the roots and can encourage plant diseases.
(J)
Do not over-water. Soil can absorb only so much moisture and the
rest simply runs off. A timer will help, and either a kitchen timer
or an alarm clock will do. An inch and one-half of water applied once
a week will keep most Texas grasses alive and healthy.
(K)
Operate automatic sprinkler systems only when the demand on the town’s
water supply is lowest. Set the system to operate between four and
six a.m.
(L)
Do not scalp lawns when mowing during hot weather. Taller grass holds
moisture better. Rather, grass should be cut fairly often so that
only 1/2 to 3/4 inch is trimmed off. A better-looking lawn will result.
(M)
Use water can or hand water with the hose in small areas of the lawn
that need more frequent watering (those near walks or driveways or
in especially hot, sunny spots.)
(N)
Learn what types of grass, shrubbery, and plants do best in the area
and in which parts of the lawn, and then plant accordingly. If one
has a heavily shaded yard, no amount of water will make roses bloom.
In West Texas, attractive arrangements of plants that are adapted
to arid or semi-arid climates should be chosen.
(O)
Consider decorating areas of the lawn with rocks, gravel, wood chips,
or other materials now available that require no water at all.
(P)
Do not “sweep” walks and driveways with the hose. Use
a broom or rake instead.
(Q)
Use a bucket of soapy water and use the hose only for rinsing when
washing the car.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
The utility profile and other documentation pertaining to the
water conservation plan shall be kept on file in the office of the
city secretary.
(Ordinance O-7-20, sec. 1, adopted 4/21/20)
